The Hero of the story is a young boy who is found with his back against the wall. Not unlike Jack from "Jack and the Beanstalk" Lemuel Pitkin was sent by his mother to find money to pay the house payment. The banker makes him a deal to use the families only cow as collateral for a $30.00 loan and sends him on an adventure to New York City to find his fortune.



His journey for wealth left him penniless more than one time in his life and it also cost him his teeth, an eye, a leg, a thumb, his hair and eventually his life in rather satrical ways.

Even though this book was written in the 1930's the writing, to a point, seemed ageless.

take a look at how people are often duped out of their money and dreams by people who have no talent to reach for the sky themselves.

Has written other short novels like "The Day of the Locust", "The Dream Life of Balso Snell" and "Miss Lonely Hearts"